BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK

Subject: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 03:15 PM

Start of another long night shift and no planned work to do. It's a tough life...

Reminiscing about Belle Vue, Manchester. I remember going with the parents as a youngster, vaguely, and remember being amazed at the size of the Elephant that took kids on rides round the zoo. But the times I remember best was between the ages of 14 and 18 - Going to Belle Vue Speedway on a Saturday night and getting free admission to the amusement park afterwards. Speedway was a summer sport so I guess it must have been July-ish they also had a firework display beyong the 'lake' before the park closed. We often missed the bus and had to walk back to Picadilly bus station to get the 'all nighter' back.

I remember the (in)famous 'Bobs', which I believe were re-erected somewhere in the US before they burned down, but better still I rememeber the Scenic Railway - My recollection is that they would not let it run nowadays on safety gounds. Under the Scenic Railway was the 'Shoot the Rapids' ride. Pretty tame in itself - You made your way up a dark twisty corridor and upon reaching a door your were sat - 3 or 4 at a time, on a bench. The door was closed and the bench, made of some sort of roller mechanism, straightened out and shot you down to a bumpy conveyor belt, along which you bounced until being deposited unceremoniously on some coconut matting! Not much fun in itself but if you waited at the end long enough you were bound to get a glimpse of some unsuspecting girls knickers as she screamed her way down the ride. A big bonus for a teen lad:-)

Anyone else remember Belle Vue, the zoo, amusement park, fireworks or Speedway? Was there a similar setup near you? Any other rides as daft as the 'rapids'?

May make the night pass a bit quicker...

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Spot
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 04:03 PM

Dave..

How could I forget BV.???   It was a shilling bus ride from where I lived as a kid.. My granmother used to save 5 bobs worth o' tanners, put em in a brown paper 'wages' type envelope and off we'd go.... T'Bobs..t'zoo..t' fireworks.. I recall it all...even the sound of the turnstiles... Can still taste the fish n chips ...   
Good days. I followed the Aces too from being about 14 -17.
That was the best track in the country and the sound of unsilenced 500 Japs and smell of Castrol R...   Oh my...!!

Nostalgis regards.... Spot   :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 04:25 PM

Did you make the mistake all 'rookies' made on your first visit to the Aces spot? Stand right in the middle of those lovely empty bits, next to the barriers right on the apex of the corners without wondering why they were empty? A face full of cinders soon explained it:-)

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 04:39 PM

Actualy - on reflection - I seem to remember that one of the oddities of Belle Vue was that the speedway track did not use cinders but red shale. Caused something of a controversy at the time. This would be 1967 to 71 -ish. The Aces were under the captaincy of Ove Fundin and Ivam Mauger I believe, from the website, but there is no mention of the shale track. Anyone know?

D.

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Barb'ry
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 04:50 PM

Definitely red shale when I went - Ivan Mauger was captain when I first started going and I remember Pete Collins and some others. The smell of Castrol R has always been my favourite - wish they could bottle it, they would make more than Chanel!
Used to go to Belle Vue as well, from being really little. It was amazing in its wonderful grottiness... if you know what I mean!

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 06:43 PM

I went to Belle Vue Zoo a lot when I were a little lad. Oddly, I can remember the entrance very clearly, but not much else! Me gran, grandad and mum were from Salford. I still have a lot of relatives nobbut a cockstride away from the place.

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 06:53 PM

I live in Salford, Steve! Whereabouts were your kin from? Funnily enough I can't remember the entrance - We got into the park from the back of the Speedway stadium when the race was over.

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 07:13 PM

I'm going back to my childhood in the late 50s/early 60s, unfortunately. My mum started life in Silk Street I think (too late at night to ring her up to ask now!) and she went to Our Lady of Grace school in Prestwich. Later they moved to Whitefield but my grandad worked all his life in Salford docks (and drank Salford dry many an evening!) I was born and bred in Radcliffe meself. Denizen of the Republic of Cornwall these days!

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 01:41 AM

I don't know Silk Street too well but there is this picture on flickr. I knew Adelphi Street very well - It Runs from the juction of The Crescent and Chapel Street, between what was Adelphi House and Salford Royal, down to Silk Street. Around the age I was reminscing about we used to go to the occasional dance at the Girls school there - Adelphi House. When I got to 16/17 I also discovered the joy of beer and one of my first watering holes was the Adelphi Tavern. A tiny little Inde Coupes house on Adelphi Street. They had a dartboard hung imediately behind the front door and to enter without due care was to take your life in your own hands!

Ah well. Night shift nearly over - Only 20 minutes and then a 2 hour drive home before bed:-(

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 02:41 AM

The name "Belle Vue" for a structure like a hotel or a gig house was quite common in Australia once too (we've renamed or pulled most of them down!) - wonder what was the origin of it?

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: theleveller
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 04:23 AM

I went there twice with school trips when I was about 10 (around 1959). I don't remember being particularly impressed with it, but it was a day off school.

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 05:46 AM

er... that was meant to be 'big house' .. no, not a goal, just a posh residence...

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: folk1e
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 11:15 AM

Belle View .............

I can remember feeding the elephant buns when I were a lad!
There was a water flume with a glassed in section round it so the water would not drown the passing punters, but the "bobs" were special! Obviously they were 800ft high with vertical drops that would break your neck if you weren't careful ..... OK not 800ft (or vertical) but you wouldn't get anything like those infamous hairpin bends past HSE nowadays!
I seem to remember that one entrance was via the alehouse (King Edward??) so you could nip in for free! Obviously you would need a beer after the bobs though!

What about the wrestling?

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 05:53 PM

I tried feeding the elephant once Folk1e but the keeper told me not to put the bun in it's tail. I wonder where that bun went..? :-)

I never knew about the 'secret entrance' but, as I said, we used to get in via the Speedway stadium. I never went to the wrestling there but I was a fan and was glued to the box a 4pm(ish) on a Saturday to hear Kent Walton commenting on the latest misdemeanours of Mick McManus or watch Les Kellet recover from being beaten sensless to win at the last minute:-) It was for real then you know - Not like todays WWE stuff;-)

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 07:18 PM

..and seeing as I am still on long nights and remembered Les Kellet take a look at this classic English wrestling.

It's obviously real:-)

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Nov 09 - 08:09 PM

The main street in the town I live in now (Bude) is called Belle Vue. I can't get away from it!

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: GUEST,sid
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 04:28 AM

Ahh, Belle Vue. Best day out in the northwest. Pick up a bird, back of the motorbike, day at the zoo, funfair, fish & chips in the cafe, speedway at night - irresistable! Dodge her Dad when you bring her home late. The older I get - the faster I was! - SID

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 08:20 PM

Post of the month prize to you, Sid! Ah, those simpler times...

Subject: RE: BS: Belle Vue amusement park - UK
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 09 - 08:21 PM

"Guest?" I'm still Steve Shaw! Grrr!